Breaking Barriers: Thriving in a Male Dominated Field

Wed Apr 08 2026 at 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm UTC-04:00

Franco Center | Lewiston

Maine Women's Network - Androscoggin Chapter
Publisher/HostMaine Women's Network - Androscoggin Chapter
Breaking Barriers: Thriving in a Male Dominated Field
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The program will feature a panel of women whose careers are in male dominated fields. They will open with a brief presentation of their fields, how they got there, their successes and the roadblocks they faced along the way. We will have a moderator to move the session along. A Q&A session will be included in the program.
Schedule:
Arrival and Networking: 5:00-5:30
Presentation: 5:30-6:30
Q&A: 6:30-6:45
Closing Networking: 6:45-7:00
Who should attend:
Young women beginning their careers, women professionals, managers, and emerging leaders ready to elevate their leadership presence and lead with greater clarity and confidence.

Panelist, Nicole Ritchie:
Nicole got her first glimpse into the construction world in high school while working as an assistant for an interior designer. That role gave her a firsthand look at the customer side of new builds, and she completely feel in love with the process – seeing a project take shape and being able to physically see what was accomplished in a day really resonated with her.
She went on to study Construction Management at East Carolina University, where she needed to complete an internship to graduate. She landed one at a flooring company, and while the manager was initially less than thrilled to be "stuck with a girl", and thought he could get rid of her by immediately sending her to work with the installation crews all summer. It was one of the best experiences she had and went back the next summer to take on warranty management. After graduation, she accepted a full-time role as their Operations Support Supervisor.
From there, she transitioned into heavy civil construction, where being a woman in the field can still be quite jarring for some – especially considering women make up only about 12% of that workforce. Over time and with perseverance, she built the knowledge and confidence that brought her to her current position as the Operations Manager of Hebert Construction.
Nicole has a passion for growing the trades in the Lewiston community, as incoming president of the National Association of Women in Construction and recently voted "best in trades" at the Uplift LA Finest under 40 event.
Nicole spends her free time working with the community and involving students in the trades!
Register here: https://mainewomensnetwork.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1975299&group=
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Event Venue

Franco Center, 46 Cedar St, Lewiston, ME 04240-7804, United States

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